Sunil's Charm
by Bristlestream
Summary: Sunil's skittish, nervous behaviour has always been holding him back from admitting his feelings to a certain comedic skunk. When Vinnie comes up with a crazy idea, how far will it go, and how will it affect the mongoose and skunk's relationship?
1. Chapter 1: The Genius Idea

**Yeah, just an idea that's been in my head bothering me to write it. Because the chapters are a little shorter than New and Old Bonds, it should be up a bit quicker, and then l will continue with that story once l have more motivation :3**

_Sunils Charm: The Genius Idea_

"Vinnnnniiiieee..." Sunil whined as he clutched the paper he held tighter against his chest, watching as his green friend rolled around on the bright, polished floor of the pet shop in laughter. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry!" The gecko tried to compose himself through sobs, banging his hand ludicrously against the ground with loud thuds. "It's just s-so corny!"

The mongoose quickly scanned the paper containing his best attempt handwriting. He really wished that he'd gone to Russell for help, its not very often that Sunil decided to try and write, but he knew that the hedgehog would only share his best friends sympathy, which is of course bursting out into whaling laughter and falling into an uncontrollable heap on the ground after reading it aloud. His unsure expression turned to Vinnie. "No it isn't... Is it?"

Vinnie paused to look up at the blue banded mongoose and grinned maliciously before picking himself up from ground an quickly snatching the paper from the unsuspecting friends grip, holding it firmly in eye view. "Please Sunny, 'Your beauty makes the morning sun look like a dull glimmer of the moon.'" He mocked playfully in an appalling Indian accent.

"Give it back!" Sunil demanded desperately in a childlike tone, reaching for the letter to only miss when Vinnie jumped onto the nearest peach-yellow wall, three small green feet glueing him in place while the other held the paper. The reptile poked his tongue out mischievously at the mongoose before continuing.

"l like this one: 'When l'm around you, reality is better than my dreams.'"

Sunil felt his cheeks burn as his friend continued to laugh and mimic his voice. "Okay, Vinnie, l get it-"

"Wait, this one's the best! 'You're just like the Sweet Delights shop's sugar; sweet enough to give me a tooth ache!'"

"Vinnie, Stop!" Sunil ordered tersely "Or else."

"Or else what, huh? What's the great and mighty Sunila gonna do about it?" Vinnie teased, watching in amusement as his friend glared flustered up at him.

"Firstly," Sunil growled. "never call me that again. And secondly, give it back or my instincts might just have to kick in."

"Aw, Sunila!" Vinnie waved the paper in a dismissive manner as the mongoose scowled at the name once again. "You've never even eaten meat before, and besides, this is way too much fun to just give in to your threat! Now where was l~ Oh yes! 'If l had a star for every time you brightened-'" The gecko was cut off when he quickly diverted his eyes to the mongoose, which he immediately regretted.

"No Sunil! Sorry! I'll give you the letter back, just quit it!" He desperately apologized, covering his eyes in attempt to hide from Sunils swirling irises. He dropped the paper, in which it gracefully swept to the ground and into Sunil's welcoming paws. He hugged the now slightly crippled paper in relief, as Vinnie retracted himself from the wall and to his side.

"Sheesh! What have l told you about doing that!?" Vinnie scolded, crossing his arms and looking away from the vexed mammal.

Normally Sunil would have argued with a simple 'You started it', but today he really wasn't in the mood.

"My sincerest apologies, Vinnie" He sighed, letting his legs give way to collapse on the floor. "It's just, well, I'm not that good at this mushy stuff."

"As we've already estamba- er estab-"

"Established?" The mongoose corrected him.

The gecko nodded his head in reply. "Yeah, that!"

Sunil huffed, eyes bearing down at the ground. "I would, um, you know, tell her all this to her face, but... I'm just too much of a nervous wreck! And l'll just stuff up and stutter and she'll just laugh at me and-"

"Sunil, buddy." Vinnie placed his hand on the brooding mongooses shoulder in comfort. "She might do all that stuff, sure, but l'm sure she'd give you a chance anyway~"

He was taken back when the mongoose sprang up from his sitting posture and towered over Vinnie, eyes wide and arms flailing in the air. "But what if she doesn't, what if l'm just going to humiliate myself! I do not want that to happen!"

"Calm down, Casanova!" Vinnie insisted, pushing away the bubble-popping friend, looking at his concerned expression in ambivalence. Maybe he was a little bit insensitive. He did have the same problem, in retrospect, and he'd probably act just the same in this situation. He wanted to help his friend, he really did, but how? He began stroking his chin proficiently, his eyes locking on the paper that was now prostrate on the floor. Something inside him sparked, however what he didn't know. He looked at the apprehensive mongoose, and hastily back to the letter. Suddenly an idea struck him hard, making him gasp slightly.

"Sunil!" He uttered, excitedly swinging himself practically nose to nose with the mongoose. "I have like, the most genius idea ever!"

"Really?" Sunil asked in an unconvinced tone.

Unaware of his friends doubt, Vinnie replied "Yes!"

"Mkay, enlighten me." The mongoose sat down as if he were about to watch a tedious show, which he most likely was.

"Your hypnotizing power thingy!" Vinnie exclaimed as if it were obvious. "You could hypnotize yourself into thinking you're a confident charismatic!"

Sunil's ears perked at the idea, before looking up and meeting Vinnie's excited look tinted in his grey eyes. It wasn't actually half bad. Vinnie would usually come up with unorthodox ideas that always turned out horribly, but there was at least some logic in this one. Of course Sunil knew he couldn't hypnotize himself, Vinnie would have to do that for him, and they would have to get the old mirror from the storage room, which Sunil's nyctophobia and arachnophobia strongly thought against. But it was a risk worth taking.

He formed a goofy smile when trying to hide it, before giving in and squealing like a little girl. "Vinnie, that's an awesome idea!"

"It is?" Vinnie blinked, not used to hearing somebody actually want to go along with his plans. "Uh, l mean yes! Of course it is! Gee, l feel like Albert Einshine right now!"

Sunil would have corrected him once more, but he was too giddy with excitement. He'd actually be able to ask out his crush, the comedic, brash and remarkable methitidae friend, that is of course Pepper Clark.

**Well, l hope you liked the first chapter :D Hopefully the next one will be up soon! Reviews are very much appreciated ^.^**


	2. Chapter 2: Sunila

Chapter 2: Sunila

"Hey, Sunil, are you ready?" Vinnie asked as he placed down the dusty mirror, leaning it against the wall and looking over his shoulder to find the uneasy mongoose slowly walking over to him, shaking slightly with wide eyes and body covered in cobwebs.

"S-so many spiders..." He shivered, thinking about the predicament that took place only moments ago.

"Pff, there weren't that many!" Vinnie rolled his eyes, turning back to his reflection and swiping off the unwanted filth.

"Weren't that many? WEREN'T THAT MANY!?" Sunil hysterically cried, to be shushed by the gecko in front of him.

"Be quiet, Sunny, or you'll disturb Russell." He proclaimed, pointing over to the hedgehog eagerly reading his book on the perfectly colour matched pet bed.

"How on earth does he not hear our racket when stuck in those books?" Sunil asked, all trace of frenzy in his tone abruptly gone as he disconcertedly stared at the unmindful hedgehog.

"I dunno" Vinnie answered impatiently. "But who cares. The girls are gonna be back from their pamper date thingy soon and we need to hurry!"

The mongoose brushed himself off and looked up at the gecko with his ears laid back and eyes wearing uncertainty.

"Vinnie, are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked hesitantly, beginning to rethink the whole plan.

"Of course it is!" He said with confidence, facing the mongoose with a smug smile. "I did come up with it."

Sunil thought for a moment, gaze locked on the ground before giving an indecisive "Okay."

Cautiously he stepped in front of the mirror, quickly throwing an anxious glance at Vinnie, who nodded his head in encouragement. Tentatively, he started to focus on his spiritual edge, blocking off all thoughts instead of the main aim in his head.

Vinnie watched as Sunil's amber irises began a swirling green, pink, yellow, purple, and quickly remembered to look away. Covering his eyes with his small green hands, he methodically spoke in a ghostly manner.

"Sunil~ When l err, um..."

'What do they do again!?' He frantically asked himself. 'Clap? Whistle? Tap dance!?'

"...When l... say so, you will become like one of those really romantic guys off those drama tv shows! Yeah! And Pepper will always be on your mind and stuff!" Vinnie smiled proudly at his orders, but his expression after changed when Sunil still stood there, slouching with eyes locked on his reflection.

"Uh, Sunil? I say so now." The gecko poked his friend in the shoulder. "Sunil, buddy?"

Still no response.

"SUNIL!" Vinnie yelled at the top of his lungs in panic, grabbing the mongoose by both shoulders and shaking him out of his trance, attracting the attention of Russell.

"What's going on?" The hedgehog worriedly demanded, dropping his book on the red felted pillow and running up to the mongoose and gecko, who sheepishly avoided his gaze.

"Oh, hey Russell, when did you get here?" Vinnie nervously asked, hands behind his back, sweating slightly despite being a reptile.

Russell cocked his eyebrow at him.

"You just saw me directly run over here from the pet bed and ask what's wrong." He answered, unamused, before turning to Sunil, who had been staring into space the whole time he'd been standing there.

"Sunil, are you okay?" Russell asked the mongoose gently, making him slowly maneuver his once again amber eyes towards him. Though something seemed different about them. A flare of forsaken usual elation had seemingly been replaced with a firmer, unreadable look.

"My name isn't Sunil." He informed calmly, in a tone out of character.

Russell and Vinnie both shared a confused glance, before the orange hedgehog stepped closer to the mammal.

"Are you sure?" Russell asked, perplexed. "Because when you first arrived at Littlest Pet Shop you put down your name as Sunil Nevla on the survey, I think I might have it still if you-"

"No, you asinine creature." He snobbishly conveyed, petting Russell -who was suddenly shocked by the mongooses harsh words- on the side of his head, where spines weren't exposed. Vinnie just tilted his head in confusion, not knowing what the term meant.

"My name is Sunila!" He announced dramatically, placing a paw to his chest and other in the air.

There was some silence, instead of the slight snicker of Vinnie -who thought it was hilarious to hear the name come from Sunil, although still baffled and vigilant- before Russell spoke up.

"Um, isn't Sunila a girls name?" He asked, dismissing what the mongoose had said earlier.

'Sunila' swung his head around to the hedgehog and narrowed his eyes.

"No! It means blue, as my coat, and implies that there is a particular girl on my mind!"

Now Russell wore the same utterly confused expression Vinnie did, who curiously inquired "What does blue have to do with your name?"

Sunila laughed spitefully, before eyeing the gecko with disgust.

"You lower level species, oh how easily the deed could be done." He licked his lips teasingly, making Vinnie gulp in uneasiness. Usually he wouldn't be threatened by Sunil's petty extortions, they were best friends from childhood, after all, but this sudden new Sunil was strange. Really strange.

Russell defensively stepped between the two.

"Nobody is eating anybody in this pet shop, thankyou!" He growled, pushing Vinnie back slightly with his orange paw.

"I don't know what has gotten into you, Sunil, but-"

He was cut off by the sound of the dumb waiter opening, it's creaking door flinging up and pouring out four pets, and a teenage girl.

"Hey guys!" She cheerfully called, carefully closing the dumb waiter behind her and bending down into a crouch, her sky blue eyes shining at the three boys. "Have fun?"

"I know l did!" A skunk from beside the human chirped, her rose coloured eyes filled with joy as she bounced on the spot. Minka and Penny, who stood behind her, nodded their heads in agreement.

"Pepper, you ate all our strawberry scented lip-gloss! I'm surprised you don't smell of them at the moment!" Barked Zoe with frustration, the pink bow accessory in her hair bobbing slightly as she jumped up onto Blythe's lap. The grey skunk giggled, however what else was said became unheard by the mongoose standing opposite of the girls.

"Pepper." He whispered, then suddenly yowling "PEPPER!"

"Wha~!?"

Pepper hardly had time to react before the mongoose leapt straight at her.


End file.
